Myself and a couple buddies tried it again last night and we managed to put one down and shot another that ran off and we didn’t recover. That makes #5 since the New Year. I’m enjoying the night hunting with the new thermal scanner. Thermal is just ridiculously fun!
Thanks all! I was stoked! I have never seen something so mad before. My life was in jeopardy getting a clean shot at him at about 15 feet. Yes, it was in Alaska.
Roundoak, the bindings are from Maine Guide Snowshoes. I have no idea if they sell them by themselves or if you have to buy their shoes too. I do like the setup though.
Thanks all! I was stoked! I have never seen something so mad before. My life was in jeopardy getting a clean shot at him at about 15 feet. Yes, it was in Alaska.
Roundoak, the bindings are from Maine Guide Snowshoes. I have no idea if they sell them by themselves or if you have to buy their shoes too. I do like the setup though.
Thanks, they do sell bindings separate, got a pair on order.
Those buggers are heavy dead weight - I remember being a kid of 16 years old, and having to haul a couple 30 plus pound raccoons a couple of miles back to the house... I ended up timing their feet together and draping them over my shoulder - I was a tired and happy kid.. what a memory.
Great pic’s... those kids will remember it forever.
Thanks all! I was stoked! I have never seen something so mad before. My life was in jeopardy getting a clean shot at him at about 15 feet. Yes, it was in Alaska.
Roundoak, the bindings are from Maine Guide Snowshoes. I have no idea if they sell them by themselves or if you have to buy their shoes too. I do like the setup though.
Thanks, they do sell bindings separate, got a pair on order.
Well I have been using the living hell out of these shoes and have no complaints about the shoes themselves but I did wear through one of the cordura binding straps yesterday several miles from the pickup. Luckily I wasn't far from a packed snowmachine trail as I just couldn't patch the binding strap good enough with what I had on m, and my cold hands. Maine Guides do replace those straps for free, though you have to send them an order form, and of course wait for them to ship it to you. That doesn't help me much when I want to be using them right NOW. I bandaided the tightening strap for today and hopefully will have a replacement strap by the end of the week.
T Inman - I'd get more than just 1 replacement. A spare could be useful!
I will, but it'll cost (not that they're expensive). Maine Guides will only replace the broken straps you send back to them, which would likely be more $ in shipping than to just buy cordura straps at Walmart. No biggie, but an annoyance.
Checking the cows this morning, and saw this one running across an adjacent pasture field. Sat down, barked to stop him, and killed him. The remarkable thing is that I shot through 2 five strand barbed wire fences, without hitting the wire.
Checking the cows this morning, and saw this one running across an adjacent pasture field. Sat down, barked to stop him, and killed him. The remarkable thing is that I shot through 2 five strand barbed wire fences, without hitting the wire.
Checking the cows this morning, and saw this one running across an adjacent pasture field. Sat down, barked to stop him, and killed him. The remarkable thing is that I shot through 2 five strand barbed wire fences, without hitting the wire.
Congrats!!! At what distance and what magnification at the scope? What caliber/bullet combination did you use?
You skin them badgers? I’ve never shot one but I keep saying I want to shoot one and have a little rug made. I walked right up on one a couple months ago and cornered him in a fence row, could have shot him easy but he was a little bitty one so I let him go. Neat looking rascals.
Checking the cows this morning, and saw this one running across an adjacent pasture field. Sat down, barked to stop him, and killed him. The remarkable thing is that I shot through 2 five strand barbed wire fences, without hitting the wire.
Congrats!!! At what distance and what magnification at the scope? What caliber/bullet combination did you use?
Remington Model 7 223, Burris FF2 3X9, 55 grain VMax reload using Benchmark. Range around 150 yards.
Same stand double or two in a day? Either way heck of a day. Both have good spots too.
Night hunt. Made a poor shot on the top one (male) then shot the second (female) about 200 yards away while looking for the first. So not a called double really. Orange coloration is undesirable for cats so the top one isn’t as valuable as the bottom, plus my poor shooting put a big hole in him. The female is the prettiest cat I’ve ever shot.
Me and the Sidekick beat up on the pigs again yesterday evening. This one and 3 of her buds won’t be rooting in the beans anymore. 223 with the mighty 55gr Hornady SP. That’s the exit in the pic.
Ping pong balls for the win. Once you've wrestled everything else in life is easy. Dan Gable I keep my circle small, I’d rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies.
After work rodeo today. Indianed up on what I thought was a pair of pigs. Only rifle I had was the 17rem, took my 45 to polish off any wounded. Trigger froze solid on the rifle in the 20mph blowing mist at 23deg, couldn’t make it do anything. So I whipped out the 1911 and got to business. 2 pigs erupted into about 20 when the shooting started, I managed to knock down two as they ran helter skelter. Dummies ran out into the middle of a half section of green wheat so I ran to the truck and hauled around the section to head them off. Managed to get the trigger thawed by blowing in it and killed a couple more. I’m going to have to put my 223 back in the truck, 25gr Hornadys are poor for raking shots. 200gr wadcutters are better but the trajectory sucks. Dance with who you brung.
I already am one of the greats. You're just now coming to this realization?
I did kill it via .22 LR. Correct. After said .22 went "click" because it was -20 and the firing pin was too sluggish to work correctly. A little TLC corrected that issue. It's leg was caught in something tight though and instead of trying to get away it was trying to kill me. Lunging at me actually.
Fück it, here is #3 for the year. Trapped again, but the trapping forum doesn't get as much traffic as this one so I am posting this here instead. He's another .22 victim, but the situation was not nearly as dramatic as this guy wasn't literally trying to kill me as I got into position to shoot him, like #1 was last month. This is a bigger boar and will be rugged.
Look at how badly he jacked up that tree. That was ALL him, either chewing or breaking off the branches by wrapping the chain around them. Some of those branches are as thick as my dong. These things are crazy strong.
Ping pong balls for the win. Once you've wrestled everything else in life is easy. Dan Gable I keep my circle small, I’d rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies.
That is Uber cool! You have got 3 this year? Are you going to have a rug made of the biggest one? If so hope you post it here so we can drool over it. Are you selling the fur? What does a prime hide like that go for?
Ya, I plan to rug this latest one and sell the other two hides.
Prices vary but these are all prime -30 degree furs, so I suspect they're worth $3-400 each, but that is just a guess. That is completely scraped and with ears/lips turned. I may sell them to a taxidermist instead as they sometimes buy them too, and then I wouldn't have all that extra work to do. I am in a goofy living situation and don't really have a shop to properly take care of the hides right now.
While pulling on the carhartts to go do chores, i seen an apparition flitting thru the yucco’s in the alpaca patch. Grabbed the rifle and stepped out. I don’t know if he was just passing thru or after an alpaca breakfast. I didn’t give the mangy bastid a chance at option number two.....
While pulling on the carhartts to go do chores, i seen an apparition flitting thru the yucco’s in the alpaca patch. Grabbed the rifle and stepped out. I don’t know if he was just passing thru or after an alpaca breakfast. I didn’t give the mangy bastid a chance at option number two.....
Luv it. The bluish tint is a sign of it being COLD.
While pulling on the carhartts to go do chores, i seen an apparition flitting thru the yucco’s in the alpaca patch. Grabbed the rifle and stepped out. I don’t know if he was just passing thru or after an alpaca breakfast. I didn’t give the mangy bastid a chance at option number two.....
Hunts, who makes that cheek riser on the AR style butt stock?? That picture gives me shivers, looks damn cold.
It wasn't near as fun, as it was a younger female and DOA. Live trapping is way funner.
Need "like" button !
Yeah yeah yeah! I actually started pulling my sets because taking 2 wolverine out of one area isn't a good conservation tactic (from what I have read) but left a few targeting lynx specifically. That big male Wolverine got caught in one of those. Oh well. I didn't really "want" it, but I will take it! Got me 6 ptarmigan that day too. They're so good eating...
Caught this one chasing bunnies in my backyard last night ... stuck the AR out the bathroom window and put an end to it. Had to slip on the Crocs for my recovery! 🤣
Got up this morning, jumped on the Pioneer, drove across the road to some public land and called this one in. Yotes dont like 50 V-Max's going 3700 fps.
There is no way to coexist no matter how many bumper stickers there are on Subaru bumpers!
Sure nuff. I think my favorite part of the 17 is that for whatever reason I can always hear that little 25gr HP when it lands. I howled that one in and it came in the back door and busted me. One shot offhand at 134 yards and it was lights out, led her just a smidge too far as evidenced by the broke neck.
Sure nuff. I think my favorite part of the 17 is that for whatever reason I can always hear that little 25gr HP when it lands. I howled that one in and it came in the back door and busted me. One shot offhand at 134 yards and it was lights out, led her just a smidge too far as evidenced by the broke neck.
Excellent ....but you have to quit posting pics of that rifle...the lust is strong....
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
Shot one in almost the identical location with my Rem 700 .17 and the Hornady 25 HP just about took his head off... there wasn't much of his neck left and I had a whole car full of spectators watching me- my hunting partners....
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability.
Shot one in almost the identical location with my Rem 700 .17 and the Hornady 25 HP just about took his head off... there wasn't much of his neck left and I had a whole car full of spectators watching me- my hunting partners....
I’m working on shooting up a box of the 25gr Hornady that is from the late 70’s or early 80’s, has a slightly different ogive and nose profile from the more modern ones I have. Wonder if the old ones are tougher or something? I’ve never had one splash, never had one leave a big hole, really no issues of any kind even head shooting pretty big pigs.
That is odd. I can't say I have ever seen a 25 Horn HP from my .17 Rem do anything but put a small hole in a critter, then blow up inside and not exit. I can't think of any neck shot coyotes I have taken with that bullet/round but I am sure I have done it. The only "bad" thing I have seen them do is take the front leg off of a red fox I shot a bit low one time. This includes a lot of thin skinned critters like rabbits, though it'll tear a prairie dog up like most anything will.
I have a few thousand of them left, but they're all manufactured from within the last few years.
Most of the time the Hornady 25 grain hp's were extremely predictable and accurate. However, once in a great while when I encountered a coyote, they would do funny things. I always wondered if hitting a bone made them extra explosive as they seemed to just explode and would leave baseball sized holes in one side, but wouldn't pass through. In any case, I got tired of dealing with the constantly coppered barrel ruining the accuracy after 25-30 rounds and needing cleaning, and then moly coating the bullets to extend the accuracy so that barrel went down the road and had a VSSF 223 barrel spun on by ITD. Shoots bugholes now with 40 grain BT's and raises hell with coyotes at much longer ranges....
Just out of curiosity, what is the longest you guys have killed coyotes with your .17's ? I think the longest I had was one that stood around a bit too long at about 400 yards, but I've always considered that a pretty lucky shot given the windy conditions and other things...
Bob
Last edited by Sheister; 03/14/21.
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability.
I thought Hornady stopped making the 25 hp's? Last time I tried to find some before I had the rifle rebarreled they were really tough to find and in very short supply...
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability.
I thought Hornady stopped making the 25 hp's? Last time I tried to find some before I had the rifle rebarreled they were really tough to find and in very short supply...
Well I thought so too, but Midway got their mitts on apparently a bulk shipment last year and packaged them in boxes of 500...dont know if they still have any.
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
That is odd. I can't say I have ever seen a 25 Horn HP from my .17 Rem do anything but put a small hole in a critter, then blow up inside and not exit. I can't think of any neck shot coyotes I have taken with that bullet/round but I am sure I have done it. The only "bad" thing I have seen them do is take the front leg off of a red fox I shot a bit low one time. This includes a lot of thin skinned critters like rabbits, though it'll tear a prairie dog up like most anything will.
I have a few thousand of them left, but they're all manufactured from within the last few years.
Ive only shot a couple coyotes with them. No exits. Shot a pile of grey fox with them and it was pretty dramatic....glad I wasn't trying to save the hides kinda dramatic.
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
Most of the time the Hornady 25 grain hp's were extremely predictable and accurate. However, once in a great while when I encountered a coyote, they would do funny things. I always wondered if hitting a bone made them extra explosive as they seemed to just explode and would leave baseball sized holes in one side, but wouldn't pass through. In any case, I got tired of dealing with the constantly coppered barrel ruining the accuracy after 25-30 rounds and needing cleaning, and then moly coating the bullets to extend the accuracy so that barrel went down the road and had a VSSF 223 barrel spun on by ITD. Shoots bugholes now with 40 grain BT's and raises hell with coyotes at much longer ranges....
Just out of curiosity, what is the longest you guys have killed coyotes with your .17's ? I think the longest I had was one that stood around a bit too long at about 400 yards, but I've always considered that a pretty lucky shot given the windy conditions and other things...
Bob
I have killed a few at 400+, without any issue whatsoever. Not sure about the longest shot but am thinking it is less than 500.
It is odd how the same bullets do different things to different people. I have the same issues with 6.5mm ELD-Ms and 140 bergers. They absolutely explode (sometimes the ELD-Ms in mid flight) where others have awesome outcomes, with the same twist rates and appx velocities. Maybe individual barrels have something to do with it as I'll throw 500+ 25 grain HPs through my .17 Rem between cleanings and it never has an issue keeping them well under MOA, nor not working well once the critter is hit, including coyote shoulder bone hits.
That is odd. I can't say I have ever seen a 25 Horn HP from my .17 Rem do anything but put a small hole in a critter, then blow up inside and not exit. I can't think of any neck shot coyotes I have taken with that bullet/round but I am sure I have done it. The only "bad" thing I have seen them do is take the front leg off of a red fox I shot a bit low one time. This includes a lot of thin skinned critters like rabbits, though it'll tear a prairie dog up like most anything will.
I have a few thousand of them left, but they're all manufactured from within the last few years.
Ive only shot a couple coyotes with them. No exits. Shot a pile of grey fox with them and it was pretty dramatic....glad I wasn't trying to save the hides kinda dramatic.
All solid chest hits or around the edges? I never have shot a grey (missed one in North Carolina but that's a different story) but they sure look small and fragile. I could see any higher velocity bullet being rough on them.
Most of the time the Hornady 25 grain hp's were extremely predictable and accurate. However, once in a great while when I encountered a coyote, they would do funny things. I always wondered if hitting a bone made them extra explosive as they seemed to just explode and would leave baseball sized holes in one side, but wouldn't pass through. In any case, I got tired of dealing with the constantly coppered barrel ruining the accuracy after 25-30 rounds and needing cleaning, and then moly coating the bullets to extend the accuracy so that barrel went down the road and had a VSSF 223 barrel spun on by ITD. Shoots bugholes now with 40 grain BT's and raises hell with coyotes at much longer ranges....
Just out of curiosity, what is the longest you guys have killed coyotes with your .17's ? I think the longest I had was one that stood around a bit too long at about 400 yards, but I've always considered that a pretty lucky shot given the windy conditions and other things...
Bob
I have killed a few at 400+, without any issue whatsoever. Not sure about the longest shot but am thinking it is less than 500.
It is odd how the same bullets do different things to different people. I have the same issues with 6.5mm ELD-Ms and 140 bergers. They absolutely explode (sometimes the ELD-Ms in mid flight) where others have awesome outcomes, with the same twist rates and appx velocities. Maybe individual barrels have something to do with it as I'll throw 500+ 25 grain HPs through my .17 Rem between cleanings and it never has an issue keeping them well under MOA, nor not working well once the critter is hit, including coyote shoulder bone hits.
You might be onto something there. My particular Rem 700 .17 Remington had an extremely rough barrel. I literally had to clean it every 30 rounds or so if I expected any kind of accuracy to continue- then it would go back to bughole accuracy, for a while. I wonder if the rough barrel was damaging the integrity of the bullet jacket and causing them to be more fragile than normal? doesn't matter now, I don't see myself going back to any .17 cal anything at this point.
Have any of you .17 shooters used the plastic tipped bullets? How have they worked out? Accuracy and game wise....
Bob
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability.
I had a great time, it is really a lot of fun doing things with weirdos like myself that think gun progress ended when they put barrels on top of each other. We had a great crowd with folks from about 5-6 different states and some incredibly fine guns from Germany, France, Austria, Sweeden(mine), Belgium, the UK and the good old USofA(Parkers, LC Smiths, old Remingtons, Fox's and LeFever's who-wee! heady stuff.
The shoot and show were held on a cattle ranch and when the Rancher saw my PM(Predatormasters) hat said that the coyotes have been harassing's his calves and I should shoot all I saw. Challenge on. Being as I was going to a sxs shoot I left the rifles and scoped drillings home. Well I I rummaged through the truck and found three 16ga 2.5" shells loaded with an ounce of BB's and I had a 114 yr old drilling along that I was going to shoot in a 16ga match(it did well). Under my jeans on the coat hook was an old Screery jackrabbit closed reed call, I was set.
I headed out in the pasture with a nice cross wind, a couple blasts on the call and I saw him pop out of the brush about 200 yards out, he came in on a string just stopping a couple times and needed just a little coaxing. At 44 yards just a little farther than I wanted him I felt the breeze on the back of my neck and he locked up like a statue. I knew he wasn't coming any farther so I let her rip, he yelped, went down and took off like a bat out of h--l but slowed and went down about 100 yards out, It took me awhile to find him as I didn't realize he had crossed a deep arroyo but found him about 30 yard beyond, good thing I saw him go down as there wasn't a drop of blood anywhere. Fun way to start the shoot. The rancher was happy.
No name German drilling, 2 1/2" 16ga/16ga/9.3x72R(no rifle ammo along)
Most of the time the Hornady 25 grain hp's were extremely predictable and accurate. However, once in a great while when I encountered a coyote, they would do funny things. I always wondered if hitting a bone made them extra explosive as they seemed to just explode and would leave baseball sized holes in one side, but wouldn't pass through. In any case, I got tired of dealing with the constantly coppered barrel ruining the accuracy after 25-30 rounds and needing cleaning, and then moly coating the bullets to extend the accuracy so that barrel went down the road and had a VSSF 223 barrel spun on by ITD. Shoots bugholes now with 40 grain BT's and raises hell with coyotes at much longer ranges....
Just out of curiosity, what is the longest you guys have killed coyotes with your .17's ? I think the longest I had was one that stood around a bit too long at about 400 yards, but I've always considered that a pretty lucky shot given the windy conditions and other things...
Bob
I have killed a few at 400+, without any issue whatsoever. Not sure about the longest shot but am thinking it is less than 500.
It is odd how the same bullets do different things to different people. I have the same issues with 6.5mm ELD-Ms and 140 bergers. They absolutely explode (sometimes the ELD-Ms in mid flight) where others have awesome outcomes, with the same twist rates and appx velocities. Maybe individual barrels have something to do with it as I'll throw 500+ 25 grain HPs through my .17 Rem between cleanings and it never has an issue keeping them well under MOA, nor not working well once the critter is hit, including coyote shoulder bone hits.
I too have experienced the drastically different bullet performance deal. Corelokts and I just don’t get along. I haven’t used many but the times I have they’ve been awful. On the opposite end of the spectrum I seem to be able shoot pigs and deer with .22 caliber “varmint” bullets and see excellent results. Who knows.
I was initially worried about the 17’s reputation for fouling and the chore of cleaning, even went so far as to buy a nice .17 cleaning rod and jags. Turns out my rifle is like yours and I don’t clean it unless I get caught out in the rain with it or something. Maybe it’s the magic CFE223 I feed it. I don’t have any colony varmints around so mine probably doesn’t see nearly the round count some do either.
My furthest coyote has probably been 250-275 yards or so, the broken country around here just doesn’t usually show good opportunities way out there since they usually have cover for the approach. I did kill one at a shade over 400 last fall with my 223.
What do you guys do with your coyotes after? Hides aren't worth anything around here and I've always shot coyotes for predator control so I just left them lay in the field... are you guys skinning them and tanning the skins? or?
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability.
What do you guys do with your coyotes after? Hides aren't worth anything around here and I've always shot coyotes for predator control so I just left them lay in the field... are you guys skinning them and tanning the skins? or?
Mine get their picture taken and stay where they fall. Pretty sure the guys further north and west of me get pretty good money for some of theirs.
What do you guys do with your coyotes after? Hides aren't worth anything around here and I've always shot coyotes for predator control so I just left them lay in the field... are you guys skinning them and tanning the skins? or?
Leave em lay or drag and toss in the brush.
The last time that bear ate a lawyer he had the runs for 33 days!
You disrespectful, unethical fücks. All you do is take a picture and leave coyotes where they died, or at most drag them to the bushes? I was taught to respect the animals I kill.
I give them a respectful finger pointing and laugh at their dead ass then go find where I dropped my beer when I shot.
We tend to practice a lot of "shoot and release" on a variety of varmints.
Thats exactly what I told a buddy of mine when I took him on his first predator hunt this fall and he dropped a mangy fox! We did "keep" his second one though as it had a nice coat and he wanted it tanned to hang on his wall.
We tend to practice a lot of "shoot and release" on a variety of varmints.
That about sums it up... I have a buddy who came back from an elk hunt and his wife asks if he practices "patch and release"? Laughed my butt off at that one and it has stuck in camp....
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability.
I do not. That's not a bad idea though. I have tied flies and dressed up worn and frayed rooster tails and other spinners in the past. I should do that a bit more.
Ingwe, He was in the hole,digging when i drove up, grabbed my .22 and walked up to the hole, he turned around and looked at me and I shot him between the eyes 1 and done. Rio7
Ingwe, He was in the hole,digging when i drove up, grabbed my .22 and walked up to the hole, he turned around and looked at me and I shot him between the eyes 1 and done. Rio7
How do you carry your Ruger pistol? Looks like the gun has fixed sights. Can you shoot to poin of aim at 20 or 25 yards with that gun?
Elmer, I have a holster on the console of my Jeep, Yep fixed sights, i don't recall shooting this .22 over about 10 yards, but out that far it's on the money. Rio7
Only other recently dead critter I got a pic of. Killed a couple of these calling in West Texas,then left them alone, as we had them coming in to every stand and I didnt want to make any noise and scare off a bobcat that might be coming ( which I did at least once...).17 Rem
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
Actually I used a pretty hot load and a 25Vmax, thats his " show side". Shot a couple more with same results, NOT fur friendly on a critter that small so Im going back to a lighter loaded 20 Vmax for fox and cats.
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
Just this morning in NE Nevada. 200 yard shot with a 16” BCM middy, and a 60 grain .223 VMax. The scope is one of the close-out Burris Fullfield E1 4.5-14’s talked about in the Optics forum. Just sighted in on Saturday. First Coyote with the rifle too.
Nice pics people,, called a coyote 40 yards to me in the dark last night. I need to get a thermal !
Sig, I bought a thermal scanner last year and I shoot with night vision. It’s unbelievable! Thermal is so fun … especially hunting with buddies. It doesn’t have to be crazy expensive but it’s definitely not cheap no matter how you spin it. I have no regrets spending what I did on my thermal monocular. It’s so cool! Lol